What Ganko does

Ganko is a privately held, family-owned Indian eyewear company founded in 1941 in Mumbai, now led by third-generation Kothari family CEO Bhavin Kothari. It operates across four distinct verticals: B2B distribution (serving over 800 retail clients across 29 Indian states through direct sales and sub-dealer networks), OEM manufacturing (producing custom eyewear for domestic and international clients using in-house CAD design capabilities and USFDA-registered facilities), exports (to the Middle East since 2009, USA since 2011, and Europe/Spain since 2016), and B2C retail (three company-owned stores in Mumbai and Kolkata stocking luxury brands such as Mont Blanc, Gucci, Dior, Prada, and Jimmy Choo, plus contact lenses from Johnson & Johnson and Bausch & Lomb). The company combines in-house brands (Sillotti, Modela, O2 Art, Symphony, Einstein Eyewear) with licensed international brands (Nickelodeon's Dora the Explorer and Sponge Bob Square Pants, Umbro, Garfield).

The company's product portfolio spans acetate and metal frames, with CR39 and PC lenses for sunglasses, supported by an in-house design team producing more than 10 new styles monthly. It holds ISO 9001:2000 certification (2004) for quality management and operates a multi-channel distribution model combining wholesale, retail, OEM, exports, and brand licensing revenue streams. Pricing is not publicly disclosed, and revenue figures are not available, but the company self-describes as the largest seller of cellulose acetate (CA) frames in India and one of the largest eyewear dealers in the country.

Beyond commercial operations, Ganko operates charitable initiatives through the JM Kothari Charity Trust (established 1990) and Ganko Eye Hospital (launched 2003 in Limbdi, Gujarat), which conducts eye camps, supports optometry training (over 500 students), and provides low-cost eye care to underprivileged populations. The Kothari family also maintains ties to Lotus College of Optometry in Mumbai, reinforcing a long-term pipeline of trained optometrists. The company remains wholly family-owned with no external institutional investors or public listing.

Name

Ganko

Legal name

Ganko

Website

https://gankoindia.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1941

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Ganko is a family-owned Indian eyewear company founded in 1941, operating across B2B distribution to 800+ retailers in 29 states, OEM manufacturing, exports to the Middle East, USA, and Europe, and three retail stores in Mumbai and Kolkata offering luxury eyewear brands.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Eyewear

NAICS

Optical Goods Retailers (45613), Ophthalmic Goods Manufacturing (339115)

SIC

Ophthalmic Goods (3851)

akta.pro primary industry

Eyewear Retail & DTC Brands (Frames & Sunglasses) (CRAAAKAK)

akta.pro secondary industry

Eyewear Manufacturing & OEM/ODM (Frames & Sunglasses) (CRAAAKAJ)

Keywords

• Eyewear distribution
• Optical retail
• OEM eyewear manufacturing
• Spectacle frames wholesale
• Luxury eyeglasses

Headquarters

HQ city

Mumbai

HQ country

India

HQ region

Asia

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Distribution (B2B): Ganko distributes eyewear products to over 800 retail partner stores across 29 states in India through direct sales and sub-dealer network. Revenue is generated through wholesale product sales to eyewear retailers, with technical expertise and service support as key differentiators. Ganko is the largest seller of CA frames in the country.
2. OEM & Manufacturing: Ganko works with companies in India and abroad to curate/produce eyewear for specific market needs, offering design capabilities, high-quality production, and attractive cost structures. The company creates custom eyewear for OEM clients.
3. Exports: Ganko exports eyewear to the Middle East (since 2009), USA (since 2011), and Europe/Spain (since 2016). Exports include large-scale production with competitive pricing across acetate and metal frames.
4. Retail (B2C): Ganko operates three retail stores (two in Mumbai, one in Kolkata) offering premium and luxury branded eyewear, contact lenses, and optometrical services to end consumers. Revenue is generated through direct retail sales of optical frames, sunglasses, and contact lenses along with eye care services.
5. Licensed Brand Distribution: Ganko is the pan-India licensor for international children's brands Dora the Explorer and Sponge Bob Square Pants by Nickelodeon (since 2010), as well as Umbro (since 2010), generating revenue through brand licensing arrangements.

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Ganko manufactures, distributes, and retails a comprehensive range of eyewear products spanning in-house brands (Sillotti, Modela, O2 Art, Symphony, Einstein), licensed international children's brands (Dora the Explorer, Sponge Bob Square Pants, Garfield), and premium distributed brands (Mont Blanc, Gucci, Dior, Prada, Jimmy Choo). The company operates a pan-India B2B distribution network serving over 800 retail clients across 29 states, runs three premium retail stores in Mumbai and Kolkata, and exports to the Middle East, USA, and Europe with USFDA-registered manufacturing capabilities.

Product overview

Ganko operates as a comprehensive eyewear company with three main business verticals: Distribution (B2B), OEM & Exports, and Retail (B2C). In B2B, Ganko distributes house brands including Sillotti and Modela (market leaders in acetate for over 20 years), O2 Art (youth segment leader), and Symphony (design-focused brand). The company also holds licenses for international children's brands including Dora the Explorer and Sponge Bob Square Pants (Nickelodeon), and Garfield. In Retail, Ganko offers luxury eyewear brands (Mont Blanc, Gucci, Dior, Prada, Jimmy Choo) and contact lenses (Johnson & Johnson, Bausch & Lomb) through stores in Mumbai and Kolkata.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Sillotti: Market leader in acetate frames for over 20 years, catering to mature adults
• Modela
• O2 Art
• Symphony
• Einstein Eyewear
• IrisBrands
• Dora the Explorer
• Sponge Bob Square Pants

Products and services

• Sillotti Market leader in acetate frames for over 20 years, catering to mature adults with high-quality, reliable eyewear.
• Modela Market leader in acetate frames for over 20 years, specifically designed for children.
• O2 Art Number one brand in the youth segment, offering trendy and stylish eyewear.
• Symphony Brand with broad appeal across age groups, featuring high design quotient.
• Einstein Eyewear Global brand launched in 2019 as part of Ganko's international expansion.
• Garfield Licensed cartoon brand featuring Garfield the cat, targeting children with fun and playful designs.
• Sponge Bob Square Pants Licensed Nickelodeon children's brand offering eyewear for kids with a carefree spirit.
• Dora the Explorer Licensed Nickelodeon brand featuring the cartoon character, designed to exude confidence and adventure.
• Pan-India Eyewear Distribution Wholesale distribution of house brands (Sillotti, Modela, O2 Art, Symphony), licensed brands, and custom eyewear to over 800 retail partner stores across 29 states in India through a hybrid in-house sales team and sub-dealer network.
• OEM Eyewear Manufacturing Custom eyewear design and manufacturing services for companies in India and abroad, leveraging in-house CAD design capabilities producing 10+ new styles monthly, with USFDA-registered manufacturing capabilities for export markets.
• International Exports Export of large-scale acetate and metal eyewear production to Middle East (since 2009), USA (since 2011), and Europe/Spain (since 2016) with competitive pricing and USFDA compliance.
• Ganko Premium Retail Stores Three flagship retail stores in Mumbai (Kalbadevi and Nariman Point) and Kolkata offering luxury eyewear brands (Mont Blanc, Gucci, Dior, Prada, Jimmy Choo), contact lenses (Johnson & Johnson, Bausch & Lomb), and comprehensive optometry services including eye testing, prescriptive eyewear, and lens fitting.

Quantifiable outcome

• Market leader for acetate frames for over 20 years
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.

• NickelodeonflagshipOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing Partner · 1 January 2010Ganko acquired pan-India license to distribute Nickelodeon international children's brands Dora the Explorer and Sponge Bob Square Pants in eyewear segment since 2010. This partnership enables Ganko to serve the kids eyewear market with licensed cartoon character eyewear products.
• UmbrocoreOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing Partner · 1 January 2010Ganko acquired license to distribute Umbro brand in eyewear segment in India since 2010. This expands Ganko's licensed brand portfolio beyond children's eyewear.
• Ganko Eye HospitalflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2003Established in 2003 in Limbdi, Gujarat by Ganko founder JM Kothari's vision. Current trustees are Dilip Kothari and Kirit Kothari. The hospital conducts eye testing, cataract and glaucoma operations, eye camps, and provides free or cost-price medicines and optical frames to underprivileged patients.
• Lotus Eye HospitalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGanko works closely with Lotus Eye Hospital in Juhu, Mumbai and its sister institution Lotus College of Optometry. Bhavin Kothari (CEO of Ganko) is a member of the Optometric Education Society which runs the Lotus College of Optometry. The Kothari Family is one of the founders of this Society.
• Lotus College of OptometrycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGanko supports the college through sponsorship of needy students' fees, design competitions for students, and frame subsidies for practical training. The college runs four-year B.Optom and two-year M.Optom programs in association with Maharashtra Vocational Training Board.
• JM Kothari TrustflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerSet up by The Kothari Family as tribute to founder JM Kothari. The trust was one of the first to support development of trained optometrists in India, has provided support to over 500 students, and conducts/supports eye camps where lakhs of patients have been screened.
• NickleodeoncoreGTM or Marketing PartnerGanko organized Dora the Explorer exhibition with Nickleodeon at Kids Central in Mumbai in November 2011 to introduce Nick brands of kids eyewear. Thousands of kids attended the event featuring Dora the Explorer character appearance.
• Cuffe Parade Resident's AssociationminorGTM or Marketing PartnerGanko sponsored a Soccer league for the Cuffe Parade Resident's Association in March/April 2019, providing surprise awards of FC Barcelona sunglasses for runners up and winning team.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Market position

Competitive moat4 records

Customer concentration

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Subsidiaries4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Ganko